1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to attachment assemblies for existing bathroom toilets to eliminate odor before, during, and after use. The device, when activated either manually on the outside of the bowl or with a remote control placed in a preferred location in the bathroom, produces a fine mist of a odor eliminating fluid into the toilet bowl and away from the user whenever the user desires. The device has a replaceable pressurized reservoir of odor eliminating fluid that may be hidden behind the toilet, a small inconspicious delivery system that is easy to install or remove for cleaning, and an activation mechanism that can be placed, for example, by the toilet paper dispenser, or wherever else desired in the bathroom. This invention will give the user of the toilet a choice of when and how often to deodorize without the limitations of the prior art.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, bathroom deodorizers were either aerosol spray cans or large, cumbersome, and relatively expensive systems that required many parts, modification of the toilet, or external power sources. Spray cans were cheap and easy to use, but could not be applied at the source of the odor, the toilet bowl, while the toilet was in use. This problem limited the effectiveness of aerosol spray cans and spurned the development of other more complex systems which either vented the toilet bowl, introduced deodorant into the toilet bowl, or a combination of both.
The prior art of venting of the escaped odor required elaborate external exhausts, fans, and power systems. Furthermore, actual venting of the toilet bowl before the odor escaped often required modification of the toilet seat or unsightly and possibly unsanitary placement of air vacuum equipment in the toilet bowl. These systems were not easily installed or removed for cleaning and could become quite expensive.
Likewise, the prior art of deodorant delivery systems into the toilet bowl were limited by complexity and its associated cost to effectively stop odor before leaving the toilet bowl. Much of the prior art required modification to the standard toilet, unfavorable external power sources for the use near water in bathrooms, or made cleaning the toilet difficult by current standards. These systems were also relatively expensive when external power sources were needed to operate the device.
Many of the simpler less expensive deodorant delivery systems that didn't require external power sources were ineffective due to the activation methods. Many used the force supplied by the toilet user to activate the deodorant. This was accomplished by either the sitting motion on the toilet seat or rising motion of the user off of the seat as a source to activate the deodorant delivery system. Hence, these activation apparatuses sometimes produced deodorant regardless of the users desire or without a way for the user to decide when and how often to activate the system.
Notwithstanding the potential of these prior attempts to solve the bathroom odor problem, no fully adequate and commercially acceptable solution has been found. This fact is clearly evident by surveying current residential and commercial bathrooms.